A football lover and pioneer of the women's game, after a Western Bulldogs premiership and with the imminent launch of a national AFL women's competition, 'Alberti said the time was right to step down.

The businesswoman has spoken of how as a young woman, she was forced to hang up her football boots because there was no league for her to play in.

She had consistently placed pressure on the AFL to give women and girls more opportunities to play the game.

AFLW, the first national women's football competition, begins in February.

Alberti also played an important role in helping lift the Western Bulldogs out of a financial and on-field rut, spending about $4 million of her own money.